TechUkrainian brigade's swift destruction of Russian tanks heralds military innovation
Ukrainian brigade's swift destruction of Russian tanks heralds military innovation
Soldiers of the 53rd Separate Mechanised Brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh announced on Facebook their latest triumph. They claim it took only 15 minutes, one tank crew, and three shots to eliminate three Russian tanks. "This can be rightly seen as a legendary combat mission achievement that will form the foundation of many military textbooks," the Ukrainians believe. We delve into the equipment the Ukrainians might have utilised during this mission.
The Ukrainian service Militarny reports that the 53rd Separate Mechanised Brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh is engaged in the vicinity of Avdiivka. It's likely in this region that the described encounter occurred. However, the Facebook post did not specify which Russian tanks were destroyed or the type of tank the Ukrainians used. Here is a recording of the event:
Ukrainians talk about a "textbook" mission
The recording shared by the 53rd Separate Mechanised Brigade is not very clear. Therefore, identifying the machines visible in it is challenging. However, it's notable that the Ukrainian unit's arsenal includes tanks like the T-72M1 and T-64BW, as reported by the Military Land service. These Soviet-era machines have been extensively upgraded by the Ukrainians to meet their needs.
The T-64 is a primary tank used by Ukrainian ground forces, produced from 1964 to 1987 and subject to several modifications. One such variation is the T-64BW, introduced in 2017, featuring a new thermal imaging sight TPN-1-TPW, the digital navigation and communication system Lybid-K 2RB, and improvements in tank protection.
These changes were aimed at enhancing the effective firing range and improving target detection and identification. It's noteworthy that Ukrainian T-64 tanks undergo maintenance at the Bumar-Łabędy S.A. Mechanical Works through an agreement between the Polish Armaments Group and the Ukrainian State Concern Ukroboronprom.
The T-72M1 is the export variant of the Russian Army's primary T-72A tank and has been produced under license since 1984. These tanks come with a multi-fuel W-46 engine of 580 kW (780 hp) and can achieve a top speed of 37 mph on paved roads, with a range of approximately 280 miles. The main armament is a 125 mm smoothbore gun. In 2022, Poland supplied Ukraine with over 230 tanks in the T-72M1 and T-72M1R versions (the latter being a Polish modification of T-72M1). Experts believe that such tanks, despite being less superior than most Russian tanks in terms of protection, can still significantly impact the battlefield.
